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Friday, October 25, 2013

Fresh Meat: The What I've Learnt So Far Edition

My last few Fresh Meat posts got caught up in the chaos of my birthday and the essay that got extended which means I am a little behind with my diary. Instead of trying to separate out the tons of stuff I have learnt over the last three weeks, extra practices and scrimmages, I decided to treat you all to a list of things I have learnt so far:

I am capable of more than I expected
If you had told me a few months back that I would be skating backwards, taking hits and even jumping, I would've laughed in your face. Being chronically clumsy means I had no real skating expectations. I thought I'd go for a few practices, take a fall and then chicken out. Or even worse, not be able to stay upright at all! Instead I am improving, gaining confidence and falling over (and over and over) and loving every second of it. Exceeding your own expectations is a pretty great feeling!

Derby is a real sport and fitness is important
This might sound like an obvious point but I was so caught up in the names and the outfits and the skates and, and, and...that I didn't actually realise the levels of fitness required. It was only on bootcamp day, when we did off-skate fitness, that I realised that I need to up my game! Skating around the track 5 times is one thing but running around it? Not even remotely the same!!

Derby girls are awesome girls
As someone who has never really been awesome at making friends, the social aspect of roller derby made me very nervous. Would I fit in? Would they like me? Would I be picked last? Lame I know but these were very real concerns the day I decided to attend my first practice. I can honestly say that these worries were all in vain. I have been made to feel so welcome by so many people and I've been lucky enough to do my fresh meat training with some of the most awesome girls. There is nothing like falling over and bumping into people to get you bonding.

Anyway, what I am trying to get at with this post is that if you've been thinking about trying derby, go ahead! Yes there are frustrations and a very real chance of injury but the people you meet and the lessons you learn make it all worth it!!